Anything Else Forum

Anything Else Forum

Offtopicland. Remember: no politics, religion, or hot-button social issues.

LOU REED (3/2/1942 – 10/27/2013) – TIMH

+1 HS
Whoa Nellie's picture
March 2, 2016 at 4:45am
72 Comments

Louis Allan “Lou” Reed was born on this date in 1942, in Brooklyn, NY. Listening to his music with the Velvet Underground in the late 60s, and as a solo artist, especially on Transformer (1972), is an education in much of what rock and roll would sound like right down to this moment. You can’t help but hear the tones, chords, words and attitude that would become punk, glam, arena, alt, and grunge. The spirit of those songs inhabits Bowie, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Cars, Springsteen, REM and Kurt Cobain. Brian Eno once said that even though the VU sold only 30,000 copies of its first album "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band."

It’s harder to like Reed the man than it is his music. Diagnosed as bipolar and sent by his parents for gruesome electroshock therapy in his teens, Reed could be warm and sweet on one occasion and violent and loathsome on another. Sensitive to criticism, he defended himself with a tough guy, “FU” persona. None of these tendencies were aided by booze and drugs, of course. To his everlasting credit, though, Reed got himself free of those habits and became physically fit and healthy. He was ultimately done in by liver disease just five months after receiving a liver transplant at the Cleveland Clinic.

Lou Reed was a college English major (B.A. Syracuse, 1964) and studied journalism, film directing and creative writing. He was heavily influenced by poet and teacher Delmore Schwartz. While at Syracuse, Reed met guitarist Sterling Morrison, who would join him in the Velvet Underground. The VU also featured Welshman John Cale, viola, keys, and bass, and drummer Maureen Tucker. VU became Andy Warhol’s pet band at the Factory in NYC. Warhol became their producer of sorts and installed Euro model Nico in the band, primarily as eye candy. VU produced 4 commercial flops that have become some of the greatest albums of all time.

In 1970, Reed became a virtual recluse, moving into his parents’ house on Long Island and working as a typist in his father’s tax accounting office – while contemplating his future in music. A year later, Lou signed with RCA and recorded his first solo album of VU covers. In November, 1972, he released Transformer, co-produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson, the album that would make and then overshadow the rest of his career.

I was fortunate for many reasons to catch Lou Reed on the Transformer tour, at the beautiful Akron Civic Theatre in January, 1973. Not only was the music transcendent, it was also my first date with the future Mrs. Whoa.

Lou Reed is a two-time rock HOF inductee, with Velvet Underground in 1996, and as a solo artist in 2014. Listen to this recording of Sweet Jane and see how many of your favorite artists echo these sounds.

 

This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Eleven Warriors unless otherwise noted.

View 72 Comments